


Phoenix

by kunemoo



Category: Team Fortress 2
Genre: ;3c, Fluff, Gen, Happy Pyromedic Week, Nonbinary Character, Other, Pre-Relationship, Pyro POV, Pyro subconsciously impresses somebody :3c
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-26
Updated: 2018-11-26
Packaged: 2019-08-29 17:12:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16748185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kunemoo/pseuds/kunemoo
Summary: "Once a bird lands on your hand, stay still and absolutely quiet."Archimedes has a knack for escaping her cage and worrying Medic sick.Pyro goes to the team's animal expert in an attempt to help out.【 Happy Burn Ward Week <3 】





	1. Chapter 1

Pyro cautiously walked out of base, looking at the vast desert sand in front of them. In the distance, the tiny form of a vehicle. A mobile home, if they were correct. They had been stalling by the door frame for fifteen minutes.

 

They huffed. Why was it so hard just to go up and talk to their teammates? Pyro knew them for more than a year, and everyone was on pretty good terms. Maybe they just didn't want to bother the teammate they wanted to talk to? Their fighting was over for the day, so, _surely_ their team's Sniper was free, right?

 

They... needed his help for something. It's wasn't _dire_ , but they wanted to learn, nonetheless. The first question was if they should visit the marksman, or if they would just be bothering him...

 

The two of them didn't talk much, after all. Pyro was sure Sniper knew their enemy counterpart better than he knew the arsonist of his own team. However, Pyro often sat next to Scout during dinners, who tended to rope both Sniper and them into the same conversations often. By themselves, though, they remained acquaintances. Were they close enough to ask Sniper for a favor, though...?

 

Pyro was so lost in their thoughts that they didn't hear footsteps behind them. There was a pat on their shoulder, and they jumped . They spun around only to relax upon seeing a familiar, buck-toothed smile.

 

“'Sup, Py?” Scout greeted, putting his hands on his hips, “Sorry, didn't mean to scare ya. Gotta say though, it's weird seeing you standin' out here instead of being in your room. Everything good?”

 

Pyro at first nodded, then stopped and shook their head for a heartbeat. Then, with a deep sigh, they lifted their hand and tilted it side-to-side.

 

“Huh... if anything's wrong, jus' sit me down, tell me to shut up, and rant, awright?” Scout gave the arsonist a wink, “We're buddies, after all. Friends support each other and shit.”

 

Pyro nodded, giggling a bit. They looked back outside, humming in thought. They then turned to Scout, tilting their head.

 

“Wrr arr yrr grrn?”

 

“Where I'm goin'? Gonna pay Snipes a visit. I usually stop by and chat after battles. Why, needa ask him somethin'?”

 

Hesitantly, Pyro nodded.

 

Scout smiled and clapped a hand on the arsonist's shoulder, “Hey, I'm sure Snipes won't mind the extra company. Sure, he's quiet, but he's a nice guy.”

 

Pyro clapped in delight, happily following Scout to the camper.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Scout knocked on the camper van, raising a brow when there wasn't a response. He knocked a second time. Nothing. Pyro peeked out from behind him, gazing at the door and furrowing their brow.

 

“Huh.... weird. He ain't a napper...” the runner muttered, soon raising his voice, “Yo, Snipes! Snipes? You doin' okay, man?”

 

Silence. The duo stared at the door or looked around the camper, pondering what to do next. Pyro looked up after a few moments, letting out a small yelp. Scout jumped in response, leaning back as he held a fist against his chest.

 

There Sniper was, on the roof of his van. A sizable owl rested on his forearm, which was lifted up. He nodded a greeting to the duo. Pyro couldn't help but stare in amazement. That was one of the reasons they were here, but they couldn't help but think they were going to annoy Sniper with questions or think they were just using him.

 

Though, they were sure Sniper was nice-- Scout liked him. And any friend of the runner's was a friend of theirs! Friends also made good company, especially after worrying and stalling for the entire afternoon since they got back to base.

 

Scout chuckled, waving at Sniper.

 

“The bird flew in early today, huh?”

 

“The sun's startin' to set, Scout.”

 

“Gimme a break, man,” Scout pouted up at the marksman, “Just woke up from a nap...”

 

“Alright, Roo.”

 

Sniper tilted his head when he saw Pyro, looking between the two of them.

 

“Don't see you out here much, mate... somethin' you need?”

 

Pyro nodded immediately, followed by Scout doing the same. The two of them carefully climbed up to the top of the camper van, Scout knitting his brow when he saw how close the owl was to them. Sniper chuckled, calmly beckoning the two of them.

 

“He won't bite, promise,” the marksman assured, “If Hoots sees that I'm calm, I reckon he'll stay calm, too.”

 

“That's... good, I guess...?” Scout replied, nervously sitting a few feet away from Sniper, “So, uh, Py. You said you needed to ask Snipes somethin', right? What's up?”

 

The marksman blinked at that, giving Scout an inquisitive glance. The runner shrugged, and Sniper adjusted his hat and sunglasses. Pyro found it cool how they seemed to talk with no words, especially since Scout could speak nonstop for hours.

 

“Well, um... Shoot, mate. I'll try my best t' help.”

 

Pyro tilted their head, looking from Scout to Sniper for a few moments. They took a deep breath and began to explain themselves.

 

* * *

 

 

_It was two weeks ago, Pyro was making their journey to deliver a gift to Medic's clinic. It was nothing too grand, just a 'thank you' gift for healing their knee after they broke it in a fall, especially since the doctor often had to tend to the other members. Pyro to fend for themselves most of the time, the doctor often too far away. They drew him something and had some lollipops taped to it._

_They hoped Medic wasn't allergic to such. They never heard of candy allergies, but Fortress was home to the phrase “anything is possible”._

_Speaking possibilities, it was true Medic played with organs like toys, but he had the well-being of the team first. It was possible that someone looking frightening wasn't as scary as one would imagine. With Pyro, that was the doctor._

_For the first few weeks on base, everyone thought their medic was bloodthirsty and insane, with no regard for life outside of his own. All eight thought that Medic would experiment on them, seeing his teammates as test subjects rather than patients._

_However, they all were proven wrong._

Medic _**was** somewhat bloodthirsty, but he healed the team and treated their injuries outside of battle, as well. He seemed to have gotten close to the Heavy, and he often warned the other teammates (mainly Soldier and Scout) that they will get hurt if they tried to _back flip _off the roof again. Plus, he had all those doves as pets, and he never hurt them or experimented on them!_

_…At least, Pyro and the team didn't witness any bird experimenting they knew of._

_That was beside the point! A sadistic jerk would have left them writhing in pain with their bone broken or told them Pyro could perfectly take care of themselves, despite being unable to walk. Medic didn't do that, ever._

_Then, they thought they heard the doctor's voice echo down the halls. He seemed to have been calling for a name, a familiar one._

_“Archimedes? **Archimedes!** ”_

_Pyro followed the sound the best they could. They listened hard through their mask, noticing the voice getting louder._

_“Please come back, Arch-!”_

_Medic rounded the same corner the little arsonist was about to peek, causing the two to crash into each other. Medic caught himself and found his balance quickly, while Pyro stumbled backward and fell onto the floor. They opened their eyes, blinking at the gloved hand in front of them._

_“I apologize for running into you, **wunderkerze** , I've been rushing all around _base _...” he gave Pyro a sympathetic smile, pulling them up off the floor. He looked around the hallway, brows knit together in concern. “Archimedes seemed to have escaped from the clinic again. I really worry for her-- the desert is cruel to small birds. If anything happened to her... **Ach** , I can't think about that. Have you seen a dove around here?”_

_Pyro tilted their head, soon feeling their chest hurt. Medic being sad.... oh, this wouldn't do at **all**. They had to turn that frown upside down, and make sure little Archimedes was okay! They hid their gift behind their back, slowly shaking their head._

_Medic seemed to deflate at that, but Pyro patted his shoulder and walked beside him. He blinked, raising a confused brow._

_“Do... you want to help me find her...?”_

_To that, the arsonist nodded. Medic beamed, and Pyro thought it was such a lovely sight to see. The doctor's smile seemed to have been brighter than a flare gun, and flares were **pretty**._

_“You're a lifesaver, **mein fruend**. Onward?”_

_With a cheerful nod, Pyro stepped forward, walking beside Medic and searching the base for Archimedes. They looked under tables, in every cabinet, walked through **all** the storage spaces, and even searched the holes in the walls. No luck-- the sun was setting, and the dove was nowhere to be found._

_Pyro cautiously stepped outside, keeping close behind Medic as he called out for his companion. They felt the worry grow in the doctor's voice, Pyro hoping and wishing with all of their might that Archimedes was okay._

_If only they could do **something** to bring the little bird back home._

_Then, they heard another voice. It was a few yards away, but the two of them could identify that slouch hat from anywhere._

_“G'day, doc,” the marksman called, walking towards them, “Everythin' oka-?”_

_The doctor gasped when Sniper was a few feet in front of them. There, a dove comfortably sat on his shoulder, a splotched stain of crimson on her white feathers._

_“ **Archimedes!** ”_

_Pyro figured it would be Sniper who would find her, cheerful Medic didn't have to worry anymore. Though, Pyro and Sniper both grew worried when the doctor looked like his eyes were starting to_ glisten _._

_Medic walked forward and pet the dove with care, “ **Gott sei dank**... Where did you find her, Sniper?”_

_“Knew somethin' was off... I found her sittin' on the roof of_ base _. Managed to make her fly down here, and she hasn't left since.”_

_“ **Schlingel**....” Medic murmured, chuckling when the bird fluttered and landed on the doctor's gloved finger, “We've been over this, Archimedes. The desert isn't safe for birds like you, you have to be careful and stay on base. **Ach**... stubborn bird.”_

_The marksman silently chuckled to himself. Unbeknownst to their two team members, Pyro was beaming. Medic gingerly put a hand on Sniper's shoulder, giving him a genuine smile that reached his ice blue eyes. He turned to Sniper and Pyro, chuckling himself._

_“I don't know how I can thank you enough, both of you.”_

_“It wasn't a big deal doc, honest.”_

_Sniper pulled his hat down a bit and gave the doctor a grin, waving to Pyro once he noticed they were present. Pyro waved back, briefly clapping. Archimedes was okay-- it was a swell day. Meaning, the evening would have a happy end. They were **always** a sucker for happy endings._

_During that evening, Pyro got the best idea-- they should learn how to be good with birds. They visited the clinic often, either give Medic thank you presents or treat a silly injury they got. It would probably save the doctor some and Sniper trouble and worry, too! It was **perfect**._

_...But, **how** would they learn to do so?_

 

 

* * *

 

“So, after a while, you got the guts and took a leap, yeah?”

 

Pyro nodded, chuckling and scratching the back of their neck. They also wanted to add how Medic asked if they would be attending their annual checkups at long last to give Scout a laugh. Though, that may be beside the point.

 

Scout and Sniper looked to each other, causing the arsonist to tilt their head. Teammates usually glanced at each other when they agreed on something. What could that possibly be, they wondered?

 

“Not to really... pry, or anythin', man,” Scout gave his friend a weak chuckle, “But from what you've told us...”

 

“Seems you wanna _impress_ the doc, mate.”

 

Pyro was _so glad_ they had a mask over their face. They were sure the van wasn't on fire, so why did it feel so warm? They quickly put a hand up to their cheek, shaking their head feverently. Scout and Sniper gave the arsonist a playful grin.

 

Scout reached out, putting a hand on their shoulder, “Just kiddin', Py, we promise.”

 

In response, Pyro crossed their arms, pouting at their friends. Sniper chuckled, tipping his hat to them.

 

“'m not the best teacher, not by a long shot,” he averted his eyes, “But I can try my best to tell ya what I know.”

 

They lit up to the sound of that, nodding and clapping. They chuckled and held out their hand. When Sniper took it, the arsonist shook it excitedly. Sniper gave them a firm shake back.

 

“Thrnk yrr sr mrsh!” they chimed, soon resting their chin on their hands, “R'll trr mr brrs.”

 

Scout beamed, “You can do it, man. I believe in ya!”

 

“With that settled,” Sniper tilted his sunglasses down, “Where should we start, mate?”

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

One week later, and the arsonist was making sure to keep a lookout for any signs of a bird-- footprints in the sand, creaks in the wood, feathers. Anything that showed signs of a avian life, and Pyro was keeping an open eye or ear about it.

 

They _still_ didn't know _what_ Scout and Sniper were talking about. Trying to impress Medic? No way, they just wanted to help him out since they already visited so much, nothing else! They were always willing to help a friend, after all.

 

If... if they were friends, that was. They supposed it _would_ feel really nice if he thought that their new skill was cool, too.

 

What was _truly_ important though, was that Archimedes was even safer on base.

 

They were about to go to their room to grab a coloring book to pass time, and then Pyro heard it. Or, at least, they _thought_ they did.

 

It sounded like the quiet cooing of a dove. Then, the fluttering of wings...

 

...And it seemed to have been getting _louder_.

 

Pyro jolted, snapping their head and seeing the dove take off across the hallway. They nearly chased after the bird, but remembered Sniper's words.

 

The best way to calm a bird was for _you_ to be calm, first. So, they took a deep breath and leisurely stepped forward. There was a white blur that made a right past the Mess Hall. This was good: That was an easy starting point!

 

They whistled and called for Archimedes in a level tone. And though they didn't want to admit it, their mask _may_ have been obscuring their voice a little.

 

“Arrcrmrdrs?” Pyro slightly raised their voice, “Arrcrmrdrs! Arr yrr rkrr...?”

 

Silence. They went across the Mess Hall-- stairs lead up to the storage attic on their right, to their left was the Common Room. They remembered Archimedes making a right, so they let out a huff and climbed up the stairs.

 

If only they had wings... it would be a _lifesaver_ on territories like Hightower and Egypt! And imagine if _all the team_ had wings! They bet Scout would have hummingbird wings, Sniper's was an owl's and Demo's would be a hawk.

 

Medic's.... oh, his would _definitely_ be a dove's wings. He had them as pets. Plus, Medic could actually run pretty fast. _Just_ like how fast Archimedes zipped past Pyro. Well, almost. It fit pretty well, if they said so themselves.

 

They froze when they heard feathers rustle. It was brief, and there weren't a lot of feathers falling to the floor. So, that meant everything was good, right? That sounded bird-like-- that way, they won't confuse bird handling with dog handling.

 

“Arcrrmrdrs...?”

 

Silence. They stepped forward, calmly calling out. There wasn't any sound, but Pyro let out a gasp. A singular feather fell to the floor, this _had_ to be where she was!

 

The arsonist looked up and nearly jumped for joy. Archimedes was peacefully resting on a ceiling beam, not quite sleeping but definitely not alert.

 

Well, she _was_ a nice bird. All of Medic's doves liked to sit on them, sometimes. Some even going inside the patients during surgeries. Though, Pyro didn't know if Archimedes went into Scout's chest cavity to be close to his heart in a loving way...  
  


“Thrrr yrr arr! C'mrn, lrt's gr, Rrchrr! Mrrdrr wrr br srd rf...”

 

Archimedes didn't budge an inch. Maybe she couldn't hear them...?

 

Well, desperate times called for desperate measures. Double, then _triple_ -checking to make sure their teammates were out of sight, Pyro quietly lifted up the lower half of their gas mask. Taking the mask off was... rare, but it would surely be fine if it was in front of an animal.

 

They stared at the floor in shock when they looked down. The floor _wasn't_ bubblegum pink the entire time?!

 

Pyro shook their head-- no, they had something more important than colors at hand! They lifted their head up to the dove, soon giving her a kind, elusive smile that was rarely ever seen. They gently held their hand out and began to do the same whistle Sniper did.

 

“Archimedes,” they chimed, fishing in a pocket and pulling a small pile of bird seed out, “Archimedes, may you please come down? I have the seed you like, your favorite sniper told me about it. We don't want Medic to worry again, do we? C'mon, Archie, it'll be okay... Promise.”

 

It was so _weird_ hearing their voice outside of the mask. It was clear, but didn't have some sort of gruffness or confidence that their teammates' had. Probably something you wouldn't expect of from a mercenary...

 

However, they found nothing wrong with that. Surprises made life more fun, after all!

 

They blinked up expectantly at the dove, who stepped a little closer to them. She still rested on the beam, making Pyro giggle. Sniper told them about how Archimedes's tendency for hassling. They pulled _just_ a bit more seeds out of their pocket, raising their hand higher and whistling again.

 

“C'mon, pretty bird. Medic's missing you, yeah?” they murmured, attempting to recall the phrases Sniper used, “We can't have the doctor sad, Archie... Come down, pretty bird.”

 

Archimedes hopped to the side, and Pyro gasped, wide-eyed. She bounced closer to them... was she going to come down to them....?

 

No, they couldn't get excited. It would make all of their progress go down the drain. They had to remain calm...

 

Slowly, but surely, Archimedes inched closer. Then, she blinked down at the arsonist, tilting her inquisitive little head. She cooed, Pyro cooed back to her. Silence.

 

Then, in less than a heartbeat, she gently glided down to them. Pyro's jaw dropped, taking in a silent breath as Archimedes landed in their palm and preened her feathers. They gently put a hand on her back, a smile growing on their face. They did it! They really called back Archimedes without a problem!

 

“Oh my gosh...” they murmured, giggling, “We really _are_ friends, are we? I'm glad!”

 

Not minding to pull their mask further down (they didn't want her to fly away), they made their way down the stairs and to Medic's clinic. They allowed themselves to hum, delighted with their new skill.

 

Then, they heard a call.

 

“Archimedes? Archimedes, this is the fifth time this month!”

 

Pyro was about to call out to Medic, telling him that the dove was okay, then they realized...

 

Their mask was still up. They looked around the hall looking for something, _anything_ to help. Medic was a good doctor, but he absolutely went _wild_ when he learned something new. What would he do if he heard their voice without the mask...?

 

Pyro let out a deep sigh, looking down to a confused Archimedes then back down the hall. The little bird needed to go back home, so she and Medic had a happy ending today. Taking a deep breath, they stepped forward. All they had to do was act casual. That would definitely help... wouldn't it?

 

The sound of shoes on wood grew louder and louder. It sounded like boots were making the sound, though the site of Medic's coat tails gliding behind his stride confirmed Pyro as to who they were about to meet.

 

Medic slowed into a regular walk upon seeing them, waving. Looking down at their hands, he gasped and sped over. Archimedes soon fluttered onto Medic's finger, giving the bird a fond smile that soon became Pyro's.

 

Medic should smile more often, they thought, he looked happy and handsome when he did.

 

“Thank you, _wunderkerze_. I swear, I need to change the locks on her cage... You found her so quickly, as well. I have to wonder how you got her down, from wherever she was.”

 

They gulped before speaking, “Y-yeah. I asked Sniper to teach me, so... so I could help you both out, and so you don't need to worry so much. I'm closer to base, after all.”

 

They swore they saw thoughts running through Medic's head, making Pyro nervously scratch the back of their neck. They looked down at their hand and realized they still had some of the seed. They held a hand out to Archimedes, and she stepped onto their hand to snack even more. Pyro giggled.

 

“I have never heard your voice without the mask, Pyro.”

 

They blinked, petting Archimedes nervously. Medic's smile became even softer, unbeknownst to the arsonist.

 

“However, _mein fruend_ , that isn't a bad thing. I quite like it, actually.”

 

Heat graced their cheeks, and Pyro widened their eyes. Medic was... oddly calm about this revelation. That was new. Archimedes flew back to the doctor's hand, and Pyro tilted their head.

 

“Thanks, Medic. I-I appreciate that,” they sheepishly put a hand in their pocket, hearing the crinkling of paper, “Oh, I almost forgot! I meant to give this a few weeks ago, but I got busy and forgot.”

 

They took out the drawing and smoothed the paper out, along with a brand new heart-shaped lollipop. Pyro held the paper out to the doctor, grinning cheerfully.

 

“This is for you, as a 'thank you' for the other day!”

 

“'Thank you'?” he blinked, raising a confused brow, “Whatever for?”

 

“For fixing my leg in the heat of battle. I mean- I know you fix _everyone's_ bones, but I don't know... It was nice. You're usually so busy, and I usually have to fend for myself during fights. So, I uh, I appreciate it.”

 

Medic gazed at the arsonist, soon chuckling as something other than light shined in his eyes.

 

“Thank you, Pyro. You'd actually be surprised how often broken bones _happen_ on my watch,” he fixed his glasses, letting out a huff, “The enemy team targets me so much that I can hardly move behind whoever I overhealed. Though, I appreciate _your_ kindness.”

 

They held their hands out defensively, “Mine?”

 

“Yours."

 

"What did I do? I'm just your only patient who's an arsonist."

 

"That is true," the reply elicited a giggle from Medic, "Though, I've never had a patient give me so much gifts, to be honest.”

 

“Oh,” Pyro muttered, soon giving the doctor a smile, “Well, I'm happy you like them, doc.”

 

“'Doc', hm? That's a new one.”

 

“I guess I've been hanging out with Scout and Sniper a lot recently...”

 

“I figured. Speaking of that, you also learned something new, for my sake and Sniper's... thank you, Pyro. That means a lot.”

 

Pyro found that happiness was swelling in their chest. They were torn between wanting to run and hide or jumping for joy with a big smile on their face. Everything worked out... It wasn't only a good end for Medic and Archimedes, but for Pyro themselves, as well.

 

“Thank you. The next time one of your doves gets out, I'll help you out, okay?” they chuckled, soon pulling their mask down with a satisfied grin. Their work here was done.

 

“I will keep that in mind.”

 

And with that, Pyro turned to head toward their room. They waved goodbye to Medic and Archimedes, the doctor waving back. They were about to turn the corner when his voice graced their ears again.

 

“Before I forget,” they heard Medic chuckle, “Heavy knows about the language of flowers, and he offered to tell me the meanings of them. I was curious, so he obliged.”

 

Pyro looked back, raising their eyebrows and feeling their pulse quicken. Since when did _Heavy_ know about the language of flowers?! They thought _Spy_ was the only one who knew!

 

“Yellow roses and a red carnation, right?”

 

He _remembered_ the flowers? Pyro was digging their grave, certainly-

 

“'Friendship' and 'admiration' was what he told me they meant,” Medic met eyes with Pyro, giving them a kind smile, “You don't have to give me gifts just to talk to me. I would actually appreciate the company, so come in as you please.”

 

Wait.

 

_What?_

 

“See you during dinner, _Sonnenfleck_ ,” he giggled, waving before turning and leaving.

 

Pyro stared, slowly waving goodbye while processing the past thirty seconds.

 

That... that was unexpected. And _wonderful_ to hear! Medic really wanted to be friends, how fun was that! _And_ they could make sure Archimedes was never in harm's way, and get her out if she was.The smile on their face was so big, they were surprised it didn't break the mask.

 

They loved happy endings.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HO.LY. S H I T . I wrote this in two to three days... This, my friends, is why you write something a week ahead before the deadline. Don't be a fool like me.  
> Anyways, surprise! I wanted to submit something for Pyromedic week, because this ship is cute! Their dynamic has a lot of potential, plus the content for it is so fluffy and adorable I couldn't resist.  
> Plus, I need to give all my rarepairs more attention. SB will always have my heart, but rarepairs need love, too. So, I will DEFINITELY give them some love in the near future.♪  
> Don't worry, though!! Chapter 02 of Easily just needs its ending, and the winter seasonal's going smoothly!! Speaking of, I hope everyone had a delightful autumn season!! May winter be nice to us all.  
> Thank yall for reading, and sorry for all the mistakes! Happy Pyromedic week!｡.｡:+♡*♥  
> (P.S. I lowkey headcanon Pyro's voice as Julian Koster/Julian the Janitor for this little project... TOHC is lit)


End file.
